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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26602318">Scratch my Eyes out I can't Scream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/c1aire_h/pseuds/c1aire_h'>c1aire_h</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bullying, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F slur, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Richie Tozier, Henry Bowers is His Own Warning, Homophobia, How Do I Tag, Hurt, Hurt Richie Tozier, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier Needs a Hug, Richie Tozier Whump, Richie Tozier humor, Richie Tozier is a Mess, Scars, Soft Eddie Kaspbrak, Whump, nothing worse than the movie, paul Bunyan statue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:54:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,465</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26602318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/c1aire_h/pseuds/c1aire_h</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Richie has been acting weird lately. He’s been refusing to swim with the losers and wearing turtlenecks. What’s going on with him?</p><p>Title from the Aubreys’ song, Brother</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eddie Kaspbrak &amp; Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Richie Tozier &amp; Stanley Uris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Scratch my Eyes out I can't Scream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wrote this because the idea popped into my head. I’m still writing my crossover though. Anyways y’all know the drill, check the tags for triggers :))</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Richie’s been... weird lately. Ever since It, Eddie’s watched him slowly become more closed off from everyone. He’s ditched his usual t-shirt and Hawaiian shirt for a few dark turtlenecks. Not because he’s cold. Eddie’s yelled at him multiple times about wearing a t-shirt in the middle of winter. Also, it’s currently mid summer and about 90°f outside today.</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He refuses to jump in the quarry with them. When they ask he says he’s rather listen to music on his Walkman. However, Eddie’s seen him watch them playing in the water, longingly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That’s where they are right now, at the quarry. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on Rich, it’s so hot out today, your gonna get heat stroke. Just swim with us. You don’t even have to jump off the cliff” Eddie says. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks guys, but I got plenty wet last night at the Kaspbrak-“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Beep beep” they chorus. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Richie, y-you used to be the b-best at ch-chicken. Just come p-play!” Bill tries. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nah I think I’d rather listen to my music” Richie answer’s. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why are you being so weird Rich? You never jump in the quarry or go to the arcade or the park anymore. You always where the same turtleneck. Do you know how gross that is? You need to wash it at some point!” Eddie attempts</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I-I like the turtleneck. It’s comfy” Richie responds. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Y-your starting t-to sound like m-me” Bill jokes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you avoiding us?” Stan questions. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No I just… don’t want to do any of those things recently” Richie defends. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why not?” Mike says. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe I’ve grown out of them” Richie tries. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You don’t grow out of fun, Richie” Bev responds. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I still have fun”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you?” Mike asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah. Just because I’m not into the same things doesn’t mean I don’t have fun”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What do you do for fun?” Ben trues. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I... I listen to music”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You gotta do more than that!” Eddie groans. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey I’ll have you know I have great taste in musics I-“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s not what he meant, Richie” Stan says. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why do I have to defend myself to you guys?” Richie asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stands up and leaves. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t understand why he won’t tell us what’s wrong!” Eddie yells. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Richie’s always been secretive when something’s wrong” Stan points out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So something is wrong?” Bev asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Definitely” Stan and Eddie say at the same time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Richie rubs his eyes as he walks away from his friends. He wants to tell them but he just can’t. He can’t tell them why he won’t go to the arcade, why he’s wearing the turtleneck, why he won’t swim anymore. Now he’s full on sobbing. He sits on a log and takes off his glasses to better wipe the tears from his eyes. He pulls down his sleeves further out of habit, but it only makes him feel worse. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He begins his extra long bike ride home. It takes ten minutes longer, but if he goes this way, he doesn’t have to pass by the arcade or the park. Eddie was right, it is really hot out today, but he can’t take off his turtleneck so he’ll just have to deal with it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When he gets to his house, he walks through the front door. He avoids his parents, and going straight to bed, even though it’s only four o’clock. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Richie is late to school, Eddie noticed, and he wonders if he’s avoiding him. The boy runs into the room five minutes after the bell, gives the teacher a note and sits down in his chair next to Eddie. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you ok?” Eddie asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course Eds!” Richie answers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t call me that”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Eddie do you have something to share with the class?” The teacher asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No ma’am” he says causing Richie to chuckle. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eddie punches him in the arm. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The losers all sit together at lunch. It’s mostly normal until Henry Bowers walks up to them. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s with the turtleneck? Hiding some fag tattoo?” Henry laughs out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Richie shrinks in on himself which is difficult since with in the last few months he’s shot up three inches. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s none of your business, Bowers” Eddie defends. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think” Patrick says “he’s got a hickey on his neck. Probably from mamma’s boy over here”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eddie’s face goes bright red. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just leave us alone” Richie pleads. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What was that?” Henry mocks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I said leave us alone!” Richie yells and spits in Bowers face. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your dead faggot!” Henry shouts tackling Richie onto the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He punches Richie in the stomach causing his eyes to go wide in pain. Richie scratches at Henry’s arms but it doesn’t do much to stop the onslaught of punches being sent towards him. Henry sends a swift kick to Richie’s head and Richie sees black. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eddie tries to defend Richie but is quickly pinned against the wall by Patrick. Bowers pulls out his knife and holds it towards Richie.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Any of you move, and the fairy gets it” Bowers says, “Let’s see what the fag was hiding”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Henry takes the collar of the turtleneck in one hand and brings the knife down towards it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stop!” Stan yells but it’s no use. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Henry cuts a straight line down the front of the shirt and pulls away the fabric. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Everyone gasps. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">EARLIER THAT SUMMER </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Richie runs out of the arcade and towards the park. The sky is growing dark and it might start raining soon, but he doesn’t care as long as he can get away from Henry Bowers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He runs all the way to the park where he sits down on the bench across from a statue of Paul Bunyan. The boy wipes at his eyes and cleans his glasses off on his shirt. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wanna kiss Richie?” A voice asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Richie rushes to put his glasses back on and he notices the Paul Bunyan statue is gone and it started raining. He turns to the side and the Paul Bunyan statue is there roaring with bats flying out of its mouth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Richie runs away from it dodging its peavey left and right as thunder and lightning storm around it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Suddenly, Richie slips in the mud and falls. He turns over onto his back and lays there in shock. The statue looms over him slowly making its way closer to him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A branch of lightning strikes the statue and it stops. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank god” Richie whispers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the statue begins moving again with electricity surrounding it. Paul Bunyan reaches his arm out and lightning shoots out of it straight towards him. He screams in pain as the lightning hits him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">PRESENT</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Richie is still laying on the ground passed out but now with his shirt sliced off of him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Everyone gasps at the sight of him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">On his left side from his neck to his hip bone stretches a scar. The scar branches off in places almost like lightning. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Lichtenberg scars?” Stan whispers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A teacher walks into the room and Henry and his goons run off. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The teacher notices Richie on the ground but doesn’t seem to care and continues getting lunch for themselves. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We need to get him out of here” Bev says, noticing everyone starring. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Mike and ben work together to carry Richie outside the building and they lay him against the tree where Eddie starts addressing his wounds.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He finishes a few minutes later and decided to wake Richie up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey Rich?” Eddie shakes Richie’s arm a bit and he groans. “Time to wake up ‘Chee”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uggh. Wait where am I?” Richie asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your at school. Bowers best you up pretty good” Stan says. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh” he says blinking his eyes a few times. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looks down and notices his shirt is sliced open. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shit!” He shouts doing his best to close his shirt. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Richie. How did you get Lichtenberg scars?” Stan asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are they called?” Mike questions. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Lichtenberg scars. They’re caused by lightning strikes” Stan answers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rich when did you get struck by lightning?” Eddie asks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’d rather not talk about it, but I guess... since you all know now. I was at the park when Pennywise moved the Paul Bunyan statue. It chased me and I slipped. It got hit by a lightning bolt and thought that would be enough to stop it. It redirected the lightning at me and-and” Richie can’t get the rest of his story out through his tears. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Aww ‘Chee” Eddie says crouching in front of him, “you don’t have to hide your scars. I know you don’t like them but I think they’re beautiful”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You-you really think so?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course I do Rich. You’ll always be beautiful” Eddie gives him a kiss on the head and then Richie pulls his head down and places his lips on Eddie’s. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ugh get a room” Stan says. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They help Richie stand up and have a group hug. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry about the abrupt ending but endings are hard. Anyways I hoped you liked this and feel free to leave a comment:))</p><p>Join my supernatural discord! https://discord.gg/6CvFtU4Y</p></blockquote></div></div>
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